College of Nursing's Sumo Receives Research Grant from Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

September 14, 2017

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, or RWJF, the nation’s leading philanthropy on health and health care, has awarded Rush University College of Nursing assistant professor Jen’nea Sumo, PhD, RN, a 12-month grant through the New Connections program. Sumo is among a select group of early career researchers to receive one of the grants from New Connections. The grant will allow Sumo to conduct a secondary data analysis to investigate the relationship between determinants of health and health outcomes for grandparent caregivers.

New Connections is a national program designed to introduce new scholars to RWJF and expand the diversity of perspectives that inform the foundation’s programming. New Connections seeks early career scholars from backgrounds that are historically disadvantaged or underrepresented in research disciplines, such as individuals from ethnic or racial groups historically underrepresented in research disciplines, first-generation college graduates and people from lower-income communities.

“We are so excited to welcome Dr. Jen’nea Sumo into the eleventh cohort of New Connections grantees. The program connects first-time grantees to the foundation, and the new perspectives they bring are essential to solving the critical, complex issues affecting our nation’s health,” says Catherine Malone, DBA, MBA, program officer at RWJF.

“This cohort joins the larger New Connections network of more than 900 scholars — a network that provides opportunities for scholarly support and collaboration for academics from underrepresented groups,” says Malone.

“I am extremely proud to be among the researchers honored with this prestigious grant,” says Sumo. “This award will connect me to a network of established experts in research and evaluation related to health and health care, while providing me with an opportunity to conduct a research study that has far-reaching implications for advancing knowledge and intervening to support the health and well-being of grandparent caregivers, their families and communities.”

About Rush University

Located in Chicago, the highly ranked Rush University College of Nursing prepares students to advance the quality of patient care and nursing practice. Our graduates are poised to become leaders with a focus on improving health outcomes whether at the bedside, in the community, in a research setting, or directing an organization. These outcomes emanate from Rush University’s integration with a nationally recognized academic medical center; Rush University Medical Center provides a rich environment where students of nursing, medicine, graduate studies and allied health sciences live and learn in an interdisciplinary and dynamic setting.

About the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

For more than 40 years the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has worked to improve health and health care. We are working with others to build a national culture of health enabling everyone in America to live longer, healthier lives. For more information, visit our website. Follow the foundation on Twitter or on Facebook.